The United States’ top disease expert has signalled a “rolling re-entry” for parts of the country’s economy as early as next month if pandemic restrictions are eased.

But Dr Anthony Fauci said new cases of Covid-19 were inevitable after any relaxing of measures and these would need to be managed by health authorities.

Dr Fauci said that rather than flipping a switch to reopen the entire country, a gradual process will be needed based on the status of the pandemic in various parts of the US and the availability of rapid, widespread testing.

Once the number of people who are seriously ill sharply declines, officials can begin to “think about a gradual re-entry of some sort of normality, some rolling re-entry,” Dr Fauci said.

In some places that might occur as soon as May, he added.

The health expert said: “We are hoping that, at the end of the month, we could look around and say: ‘OK, is there any element here that we can safely and cautiously start pulling back on?’ If so, do it. If not, then just continue to hunker down.”

Dr Fauci said at whatever time restrictions ease, “we know that there will be people who will be getting infected. I mean, that is just reality”.

Governors, get your states testing programs & apparatus perfected. Be ready, big things are happening. No excuses! The Federal Government is there to help. We are testing more than any country in the World. Also, gear up with Face Masks!